A guru of alternative medicine makes his case for herbs and fatty acids

In a clinical trial that got a lot of publicity last year, the herb St.-John's-wort failed to work better than a placebo in treating severe depression. The study also showed that Zoloft, one of the most popular prescription antidepressants, did no better than a placebo either, but that result attracted little attention. In the real world, people do not take St.-John's-wort for severe depression--they use it for mild to moderate conditions. Zoloft, on the other hand, is considered a powerful weapon in the ongoing war on mental illness.

With good reason, a lot of people have questions about the efficacy of...